George+Taylor

Who Was George Taylor?​ ​ Life in Ireland: George Taylor was born in 1716 in Northern Ireland. His father was a respectable cleryman in Ireland and believed in the great importance of education. Taylor's father gave Taylor a chance to improve his mind and study medicine. Taylor, however, soon gave up on medicine and set off for America in 1736, at the age of 20.

Arriving in America: Taylor arrived in Chester County, Philadelphia, as an identured servant. In order to pay off the expenses from the voyage to America, Taylor became the clerk of Mr. Savage, the owner of Warwick Iron Furnace and Coventry Forge at Durham, a small village on the Delaware River.

Marriage: A few years after Mr. Savage died, Taylor married Ann Savage, the widow of Mr. Savage and became owner of the ironworks. The business prospered under his control and he became very wealthy.  Early Retirement and Interest in Politics:  Taylor's business was so successful that at age 47, he was able to retire. He and his family moved to a large estate along the Lehigh River in Easton, Pennsylvania, ten miles north of Durham. Here his interest in politics began. He was voted into the Pennsylvania provincial assembly and appointed to the committee of grievances in October 1764. Taylor remained on the assembly for five years, but eventually lost the election in 1770. Taylor was able to return to his business, which turned out to be very unprofitable under the new Boston Port Act. ​In 1775, Taylor was elected to the Bucks County Militia and served as a colonel.  Signing of the Declaration of Independence: Towards the end of the year 1775, Taylor was again sent to the provincial assembly and was placed on the Commitee of Safety. This committee would direct Pennsylvannia's war efforts. Also, Taylor was placed on the Committee of Correspondence, a committee that was appointed to draw up instructions for the delegates to the Continental Congress. During June 1776, five delegates from Pennsylvania did not agree to signing of the Declaration of Independence. On July 20, 1776 new delegates were chosen to replace them. Taylor was then elected to the First Continental Congress and served on the Congress until 1777. He signed his name on the declaration along with the other members of Congress.





Death: After signing the Declaration of Independence, George Taylor represented Congress at a conference with Native Americans in Easton, Pennsylvania in January 1777 and was then elected to the Supreme Executive Council of the state in March 1777. However, after only six short weeks on the council, Taylor was forced to retire on behalf of illness. Taylor died almost a year later on February 23, 1781. He was buried in the churchyard of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Easton, Pennsylvannia. In 1870, his body was moved to Easton Cemetery and reburied by a tall monument that had been build in his honor.